This Chicken Stew recipe is easy, hearty, warm, nourishing comfort in a bowl and SO good you’ll want to make it again and again! The Chicken Stew is loaded with juicy chicken, buttery potatoes, hearty carrots and celery, fresh green beans and aromatic onions, garlic and herbs swaddled in a rich, cozy gravy-broth. It’s a hypnotic tapestry of flavor and texture in every spoonful. This easy Chicken Stew recipe is also extremely versatile and pantry friendly – swap the chicken for ground beef or sausage, swap veggies or add more favorites, make it creamy, brothy or stew-like (all variations included). It also make ahead friendly (tips and tricks included) and stores and reheats beautifully!

Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven/soup pot. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper then sear until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate but leave drippings.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium low heat in now empty pot with the drippings. Once melted, increase to medium-high heat and add onions, carrots and celery; sauté for 4 minutes scaping up the golden bits on the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds; sprinkle in flour then cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes (it will be thick).

Add chicken back to the pot along with all remaining ingredients EXCEPT green beans. Season with ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover the soup to bring to a simmer, then displace the lid so it’s partially covering the pot, with about a one-inch opening. Simmer the soup for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is tender enough to shred.

Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces once cool enough to handle (don’t add back to soup yet).

Meanwhile, add green beans to soup and continue to simmer the soup for an additional 10-15 minutes, partially covered or until potatoes are tender. Stir stew occasionally while simmering, partially replacing the lid so the stew doesn’t burn.

Stir in shredded chicken (or rotisserie chicken if using). Stir in additional broth for a less “chunky” stew if desired. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired (I like more salt).

Recipe Notes

TIPS AND TRICKS

Use chicken thighs. This Chicken Stew recipe will work with chicken breasts or chicken thighs, but for the best flavor and most juicy chicken, use chicken thighs or shredded rotisserie chicken.

Rotisserie chicken. Stock shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken portioned into 3 cup freezer bags so you always have chicken ready to add to any soup.

Customize vegetables. You can add corn, broccoli, zucchini, etc. just be aware most vegetables will not need the full cook time – see my detailed instructions in the Variations section.

Vegetable size. Chop carrots and celery at least ½-inch thick because they are going to simmer for longer than many soups. Avoid chopping your vegetables too thin or they can become mushy.

Sear chicken for maximum flavor. While you don’t have to sear the chicken, searing the chicken results in the Maillard reaction, in which amino acids and reducing sugars produce browning, and as we know, color= flavor! The delicious brown bits left in the bottom of the pan will be season the entire stew as they permeate the broth.

Don’t burn drippings. When you’re searing the chicken, don’t let the drippings turn dark/black because these means you are burning the drippings which will make the entire soup taste burnt. If the drippings are darkening too quickly, reduce the heat.

Don’t burn flour/stew. Don’t let flour stick to the bottom of the pot when cooking or it will burn later. You can add additional oil if needed if the flour is sticking. To that end, stir the soup occasionally while simmering so the soup doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn.

Consistency. You can make this Chicken Stew recipe creamier, more gravy-like or thin and brothy. See my section in the post on how to adjust consistency.

PREP AHEAD

This Chicken Stew recipe is very simple but it does require some prep work as far as trimming the chicken and chopping vegetables. You can save time by:

Trim chicken. Trim off excess fat from chicken thighs then store chicken in an airtight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Chop vegetables. Chop the vegetables and aromatic’s a couple days ahead of time, the night before dinner or just a few hours before cooking then store the veggies and aromatics in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Chop potatoes. Once you cut the potatoes, starch is released which will cause them to brown, so make sure you submerge them in water to prevent this discoloration. Simply place the potatoes in a bowl or airtight container, cover with water then cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Measure Spices. It doesn’t take long to measure out the spices, but you can certainly do it beforehand and store the mix in an airtight bag or container.

HOW TO STORE & REHEAT

The flavors of this Chicken Stew get even better the next day so you can enjoy leftovers for days!

Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Microwave: transfer individual servings to a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 2 minutes; stir then continue to microwave for 30-second intervals, if needed.

Crockpot: transfer stew to your crockpot and heat on low for 1-2 hours.

CAN I FREEZE CHICKEN STEW RECIPE?

I would not advocate freezing your Chicken Stew because potatoes do not freeze-and-reheat well. They turn into a bizarre, mushy texture. If you still want to freeze your stew, I suggest removing the potatoes unless you’re not a texture person. To freeze Chicken Stew:

Cool: Allow stew to cool completely before freezing to preserve the integrity of the ingredients.

Package: Transfer stew to an airtight freezer safe container or freezer bag. You can even use sandwich size plastic bags for individual stew portions. Squeeze out any excess air to prevent freezer burn and label

Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost/Reheat. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in the microwave, crockpot or stove according to aforementioned instructions.